Alhambram toast his first PBEM game with Russian vodka

[Alhambram]

Turn 17:

   

Starting with situation at St. Petersburg, barbs still didn't attacked and they blew their chance. I managed to take down barb camp and gained 50 coin to purchase a warrior (also getting eureka for Military Tradition civic in process). He can't move this turn yet, with completed slinger next turn, it is time to clean up area around St. Petersburg of barbs. However barb camp did produce a barb warrior and it attacked my warrior, he get chance to attack my injured warrior next turn. The question whether my warrior shall survive depends on dice roll, I think. Ultimately I want also mop up two camps (one somewhere in fog south of St. Petersburg, another near my scout) with this I should grab 100 hard needed coin in total which should almost cover up 160 gold for warrior if you also count first razed camp.

   

Here is my planned settler map, I already told about city 1 in previous turn.

City 2 however lacks an tile with 3 food or more, although there is an oasis in third ring. Stone is also at third ring behind my warrior at north, but to build Stonehenge all you need to do is build it at adjacent flat tile and after chopping rainforest southeast of Stone which is in second ring of city 2, I can build Stonehenge there. Speaking about chopping, city 2 got many forests and rainforests, so chopping time there to boost food and production. This city is going be weaker than city 1 and 3, I settle this city for two reasons: deny Woden settling there and get tile to build Stonehenge on it.

City 3, I already explained early when it is an decent location. I plan to settle city 2 first and then using colonization policy (unlocked by early empire) my first two cities are both going produce settlers. With this I got four core cities. Currently I am researching Craftsmanship, after that I need to research Foreign trade to unlock early empire civic.

An possible city is located at one tile west of silver resource, It can work with two fish resource and maybe swap with 5 food wheat tile from city 3. This leaves a little room to place another city just south of Nan Madol, but its location is that weak that nobody are going settle there. I need to explore tundra area more, maybe more cities there and with extra production and faith from Russia civilization it might worthwhile to do it.

At diplomacy screen I noticed that Woden got horse resource hooked up, speaking about horses I don't see any in my surroundings.
Maybe there are some woolly horses at tundra area, after all I did see woolly mammoths (ivory resource) at tundra area in my single games sometimes.

[Alhambram]

Turn 18:

I opened my save and did my warrior survive? 

   

Finally lady fortune did smile upon me a little: my warrior at north survived barb attack and got promotion. I selected battlecry and that barb warrior is in trouble now. 
Meanwhile battle of St. Petersburg has begun.

   

I did move my warrior to forested hill tile to east, hopefully this baits barb warrior or slinger (most likely slinger since it can attack warrior from range) towards cow tile where my warrior can hit him hard with my slinger covering warrior.
Meanwhile my slinger damaged easternmost barb warrior. Also barb scout nearby St. Peterburg that might pose danger for builder, got killed by Woden's warrior.
The placements at end of turn:

   

I restarted production of builder, due in 2 turns. My city also grows in 2 turns, almost time for producing settler. 

Looking at score: everyone have at least 2 tech and 1 civic. Woden got 2 civics and oledavy 3 techs. Singaboy likely is first to get Pantheon, Woden second and me third as things are now. In that case I likely gonna miss out Lady of Reeds and Marshes if others have marshes or floodplains nearby. 
Also Singaboy is stuck at 2 population for fairly long time, does he have few high food tiles?, did he invest mainly in production? or does he plan or did he already produce settler and mask it by producing settler and grow city at same turn similar as TheArchduke's first settler that went unnoticed by Sulla in PBEM 1?

[Alhambram]

Turn 19:

Barb slinger indeed did move to cow tile and attacked my warrior, however that did a little damage. Then my warrior counterattacked and my slinger finished it off gaining eureka for archery in process.
Well we shall look next turn whether barb warrior is also foolish enough to move to cow tile, otherwise I have to take initiative by attacking injured barb warrior with slinger first then finishing off with my warrior.
Picture after first battle:

   

My other warrior from north is returning to St. Petersburg where he can heal and then go south in search for barb camp.
I am currently first at domination ranking, no surprise since I needed this little force to deal with barb threat. 

At religious ranking Singaboy fell behind me, which mean that he didn't meet religious city state, likely he worked on tile with one faith and running God King at same time, he also gained 3rd population.

[Alhambram]

Turn 20:

   

The barb warrior did indeed foolishly move to cow tile, my slinger and warrior killed it. My warrior is exposed now for last remaining barb warrior, but according statistics my warrior would survive attack from barb warrior.
Also both slinger and warrior are close their first promotion (both 11/15 xp).
So it was green light for my builder to build pasture (eureka for Horseback Riding, by the way I already gotten eureka for Bronze Working, but I missed that message, maybe because 3rd killed barb was from an suicide attack of barb unit).

   

With builder completed, I started producing settler. My builder is going chop forest at turn 22 and mine same tile at turn 23. After settler comes new builder to build camp and getting eureka for Craftsmanship.
I am bit disappointed that I didn't find natural wonder yet. I think that I allow research Astrology for one more turn, then I shall start researching Bronze Working. 
I want know whether I have iron in my area after noticing that I don't have horses. Also it allows for chopping of rainforests which I do intend for city 2.
Then back to Astrology if I still don't find natural wonder. I need to grab religion sooner or later.
According the score I am only one with 4 population now. No other news form others this turn.

[Alhambram]

Turn 21:

   

Barb warrior didn't attack, he just moved one tile south east. I did move my warrior along with builder to prevent builder being sniped by barb scout.
Unfortunately that allows barb warrior to pillage pasture next turn, I shall have it repaired by builder after he chopped the forest.
My slinger attacked and got promotion and he shall promote next turn. My promoted warrior shall move on desert hill tile west of city to heal and fortify there.
Next turn chopping time!

[Alhambram]

Turn 22:

   

Well, it turned out that amount production that I get from chopping depends on difficulty, speed and age. I was only able to chop 23 production, I still did it because it results in my settler done at turn 26 and I expect to settle city 1 at turn 31. I did say earlier that I want settle city 2 first, that was a mistake typing by me. I shall keep it as reminder in future games: chopping in ancient age at prince difficulty and standard speed gives 23 production.

I decided to have slinger attack barb warrior for safety instead promoting it, with forest chop my warrior is bit exposed although I have him fortify while healing. Next turn barb warrior might pillage and return to his full strength.

   

At very northeastern corner you can see how many turns left to complete settler and how many production is still needed. I have to swap craftsmanship next turn and start researching foreign trading and then early empire. After completing settler I produce builder in roughly 5 turns and he shall build camp and complete craftsmanship. I did rearrange tiles, so settler is completed in 4 turns.

Now almost all area around St. Petersburg is scouted and I shall offer some my thoughts about city 2 and choice of pantheon.

   

This is situation of city 2: I did initial pin it at southern location, however that mean that stone is at 3rd ring. Maybe I should have it in 2nd ring and with Russian culture I can claim stone tile from start. And I might want to get eureka for masonry for faster able to build walls in my cities. I don't see other places where I can build quarry. Northern city still do fit in dotmap and still can reach oasis tile at 3rd ring. Also it is on plain hill which mean 2f/2p city, also it is closer city states which mean easier religion spread and pressure.

Regarding choice of pantheon, I show my big map to you and tell what I mean with my descriptions.

   

You see I put down two different pins. One with arrow down mean city location, one with sun mean location for lavra's. 
I have decided now that I go for full religious gameplay, so no Lady of Reeds and Marsh. Instead I have to pick between Dance of the Aurora and Desert Folkore.
So I put down best potential locations for lavra's with both pantheons. I wrote with every location how many faith do lavra generate and which pantheon.
St.Peter lavra 5 da means a lavra placed for St. Petersburg shall generate 5 faith with dance of Aurora. St.Peter lavra 6 df means generate 6 faith with Desert Folkore.

Conclusion: Desert Folklore is indeed the best choice with 3x6 and 1x7 faith = 25 faith per turn compared with Dance of the Aurora 3x5 and 1x?. 
To beat Desert Folklore, ? needs to be 11 faith which is impossible. 

I do plan to land Stonehenge, but I am also starting to warm up for Oracle, it gives me 25% discount purchasing Great People with faith, since I am going generate many faith anyways I have check for some useful Great People or deny others Great People if needed for example claiming Great General. Other wonder that is high on my list is Petra, especially for city 4 it is very useful. But it depends whether others might have some desert tiles and Petra is very expensive (400 production) and Woden should have a breeze to land Petra (just 7 builder charges).

Oledavy got 4th tech, Woden grew a population to 4 same as me and also got 3rd tech. Also Woden's did spend some gold (55), did he purchase an scout after nabbing an barb camp? It is unclear to me.

[Alhambram]

Turn 23:

   

Barb warrior decide to suicide attack my warrior and died. So battle of St. Petersburg is over with me as winner, mainly thanks barb's stupidity.
Pasture didn't get pillaged, so my builder built an mine. My two warriors are going to heal to their full strength and then attack barb camps.
When my settler is finished, my slinger is going with settler to city 1 spot. I decided to save slinger's promotion for later point when I need some quick healing and decide which promotion is better adjusted at future situation.
Finally a quiet turn now, TheArchduke got his 3rd tech.

[Alhambram]

Turn 24:

Nationally my turn has been quiet, my warriors are healing and my scout is searching for barb camp southwest next turn. And I just wait until settler, tech and civic is completed. Internationally however:

   

I show a score ranking, oledavy got 4 population, but major news this turn came from Woden.
Not only did he gain 3rd civic, more importantly his empire score did decrease from 9 to 8, also his beakers and culture per turn did decrease, which mean Woden completed an settler!
I suspect that Woden is settling his 1st city close his capital, so he won't have his first city planted at locations of my city 1 and 2 due city states being in way between his two cities.

However if he defy my expectations and indeed do settle his 1st city in way that it blocks my city 1 or 2, then it means war!
Then I shall use my warriors and archers to raze his city, his military strength is 30 now while my is roughly 60. I still need to add more warriors and archers to deal with his city.
I don't expect that happen though, but I shall observe situation closely.

[Alhambram]

Turn 25:

   

Found the source of barb problems past turns, my promoted warrior finished healing and after 5 turns he shall attack barb camp.
My other warrior needs one more turn healing, then he attacks southeastern barb camp. City state Vilnius is willing to give me an envoy for destroying that barb camp.
So 2 free culture bonus per turn if I deal with that barb camp, also I consider to send my trader to Vilnius from St. Petersburg. Not only do it give me more culture, there is good chance that route goes through city 1.
Next turn settler completed and I shall start producing an builder.

Internationally only news is that TheArchduke reached 4 population.

[Alhambram]

Turn 26:

Sorry, forgot to make an screenshot of this turn, I was bit happy drunk due victory of my favorite soccer club Ajax in Europa League and played turn in drunken state, not a good idea!  
So readers try gasp situation based at previous post.

Promoted warrior ventures in direction of south west barb camp.

Scout finished covering all land tiles at south west corner, nothing interesting to find, scout is going explore beyond the city states from now to find remaining players and other city states.

Non promoted warrior finished healing and went east in direction of barb camp, actually took wrong route. Northern path was one turn faster than southern path that I did click for my warrior and on top of that my warrior met an barb scout.

Finished my settler, chained it with my slinger and start walking to city spot 1.

Starting producing builder in St. Petersburg, due in 6 turns.

Singaboy and TheArchduke both completed their 3rd tech (not sure about TheArchduke, I didn't pay attention maybe TheArchduke did complete civic instead tech), oledavy produced an settler and Woden have yet found his second city.